Irving Oil In Court On 3 Charges Related To Refinery Explosion
SAINT JOHN – Irving Oil made a very brief court appearance Thursday morning on charges connected to the 2018 explosion and fire at the refinery in Saint John.
The matter, which had been adjourned last November until February 20, was adjourned again until April 15.
Three charges were laid by WorkSafeNB under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in October 2019.
Irving Oil Ltd. faces a charge dealing with an employer’s responsibility to protect anyone using or accessing the place of employment.
Irving Oil Refining GP is facing two charges including one covering an employer’s duty to take every reasonable precaution to ensure the health and safety of its employees.
RELATED: Irving Oil Refinery Explosion Charges Set Over Until February
A lawyer representing Irving Oil declined to comment on Thursday morning.
As many as 3,000 workers were at the refinery when the explosion rocked the city on Oct. 8, 2018. Most were taking part in the refinery’s annual turnaround project.
Several workers were treated in hospital for minor injuries after the incident, which happened around 10:15 a.m.
Hours after the explosion, an Irving Oil official said there was a malfunction in a diesel-treating unit, which removes sulfur from diesel.
Tamara Steele is a reporter with CHSJ/Country 94, a Huddle content partner.